Novice Nurse Preparedness to Effectively Use Electronic Health Records in Acute Care Settings: Critical Informatics Knowledge and Skill Gaps

Abstract

Abstract The ability of nurses to use an Electronic Health Record (EHR) effectively is critical to patient safety, decreased facility expenditures for training, and reduced healthcare costs. To use EHRs effectively, nurses must have the required knowledge and skills. The purpose of a quantitative descriptive study conducted in 2012 was to identify what, if any, gaps exist between the informatics knowledge and skills self-reported by new/novice nurses and the informatics knowledge and skills demonstrated in acute-care settings by new/novice nurses as reported by nurse managers. Survey responses from 222 new/novice nurses and 326 nurse managers revealed gaps in 13 of 28 knowledge and skills areas thought to be critical to effective EHR use.For more than 25 years, U.S. healthcare organizations have been moving from paper-based medical records to electronic health records (EHR). With EHRs, healthcare organizations can enter, retrieve, and update individual patient records. EHRs provide healthcare organizations with tools, such as reminders and alarms, to help automate processes for improved clinical accuracy and outcomes.